Wood Craft Now

American Elm “Ulmus Americana” Ulmus Americana was once a prominent icon of the American forest. However, after the arr…

In the first two parts of this series, we saw AI struggle with the spatial logic of shop layouts and the structural “ni…

Editor’s note: This article was originally written in December 2025, for the April 2026 issue, which went to print in J…

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking…

Every once in a while, somebody creates a series that, for reasons unknown, really strikes something inside me. That’s …

Grain painting with beer, earth pigments and flaming shellac. When most people think of period furniture, they think of…

Thomas Jefferson’s book boxes became the foundation of the Library of Congress. I like to think of Thomas Jefferson’s p…

Guide clamps make it easy to position a straightedge for sawing or routing, because they clamp to both ends of a workpi…

The 18th-century jigs of this French master belong in the contemporary shop. I’ve often heard that confession is good f…

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Logan and Phil respond to viewer/listener comments and discuss must-ha…

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking…

Of all the “new” things I’ve tried with woodworking over the last few years, the most fascinating — and, more important…

For over a century, Powermatic has set the gold standard in woodworking machinery. Since 1921, the name Powermatic has …

In our last conversation, we explored AI’s ability – or lack thereof – to help us visualize furniture appearance for ou…

Recently, I shared some background on Gustav Stickley and the philosophy that guided his work during his years with the…

The area below your drill press table is the perfect spot to pack in some storage and turn your drill press into a robu…

Tool: BenchPilot Shop Now Manufacturer: Shaper Tools MSRP: $1499 One of the most exciting tools of the year, in my opin…

White pine and Hickory bark updates In our modern convenience culture, we are often led to believe that anything is ava…

I’ve tried all kinds of jigs for installing drawer slides, none to my satisfaction. My jig holds the drawer slides righ…

Often, the old ways are more efficient. I use 18th-century hand tools because I make reproduction furniture. In my mind…

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Logan and Phil welcome special guest Jamie Harpster of Plane Wellness,…

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking…

Furniture being deadly seems like such an unlikely threat, but tipping accidents happen by the thousands every year. Ch…

Tool: Jointer-Planer A2-26 Shop Now Manufacturer: Hammer MSRP: $2599 In a small shop, every square foot matters. I rece…

A broken spindle or chair rung can be removed well enough. But how do you get the repaired or new part back in without …

When I’m finishing a project, I support it on small stands. They raise the project off the bench so I can get at its lo…

Can a woodworker—whether a hobbyist or a professional—confidently use AI as a tool for design and construction? Most of…

One of my oldest projects is a large trunk that’s survived half a dozen moves since I made it over 40 years ago. Constr…

Organize all the woods into categories to determine the best finishing strategy. Woodworkers choose among dozens of w…

Tool: Inspection Square Shop Now Manufacturer: Blue Spruce Toolworks MSRP: $169.99 Keeping your parts flat, square, and…

This unusual push stick provides fingertip control without risking your fingertips. Its V-notch end wraps around the bo…

In this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John, Phil, and Logan dive deep into listener questions and comments w…